Heavy In Your Arms
by Lady Kags
Summary: Three part tale of a veteran Peacemaker, named Niles. It tells about his struggles against his past and present. There's a killer on the loose in Rata Sum, and it's up to the old asura inspector to find the truth...no matter how much that truth may hurt.


**Authors Note:** This is the first story I've written in...years. I've tried so hard again and again to get back into shape, but to no avail. Here I go again...I'm sorry for grammar mistakes, it's a weak point of mine since I don't have the attention span to handle editing before I give up in self-doubt. If you enjoy proof-reading, let me know. I hope you all enjoy, the asura are my favourite of the races!

**Story Notes:** About my character on the Tarnished Coast server, Niles, a 50+ some year asura Peacemaker. It tells about his past and present summed in about three parts. Jaddi belongs to my friend Saffron. Inspiration: _Heavy in Your Arms by Florence + The Machine_.

**::::**

**::::**

**Chapter I**

_I was a heavy heart to carry_  
_My beloved was weighed down_  
_My arms around his neck_  
_My fingers laced to crown._

_I was a heavy heart to carry_  
_My feet dragged across ground_  
_And he took me to the river_  
_Where he slowly let me drown_

**::::**

He hunched there, drenched in blood and filth. The overpowering odor of undead burnt into armour and skin inside the small inclosed lab. There was no movement, no recognition in the small being's blue eyes. They stared out to seemingly nowhere—he seemed just as dead as the bodies that littered the floor.

There was a sound of a stone door crumbling and breaking apart, destroyed from the outside. As the dust and smoke filtered out through the opening, a team of Peacemakers stormed into the room, their magi-tech armour breaking into the darkess. They did not get far, however, as they gaped in shock and disgust at what lay before them. Undead were splayed and twitching across the traditional stone lab. Their own race were part of the gruesome scene, red blood mixing with the undeads' black bodily fluid that oozed all over the floor. Machines broken. Crystals and glass shattered. Pipes spit water all over. Lights flickering. There was dead silence aside from the sparkling and sputtering of devices.

The newly arrived reinforcements slowly crept in, weapons held tightly, trying in vain to piece together what had transpired. Three young asura apprentices huddled against the carved stone wall to the right, sobbing. Three remaining bodyguards stumbled about the wreck, searching for survivors. And a fourth stood in the center of the room, frozen, kneeling beside a body, the two of them already deep in a muddy pool of water.

"Stop standing around like befuddled bookahs!" Chief Zentara broke the unearthly silence as she emerged through the dust. "Spread out, get the survivors out of here, move it! Someone turn off that arcane-geographic-scanner before it detonates!"

Her subordinates immediately obeyed, rushing through. Zentara trudged through the littered floor; everytime her foot stepped on a shard of glass or a puddle of ooze, a chilling sensation took over her with every step. But her eyes focused on the wounded warrior. When she arrived, she froze, her large ears flared up for a moment.

"Niles."

"She's dead," a gravely voice whispered.

"Niles," she snaps, but to no avail, he barely registers her and the movements of what's going on.

"She's gone," he mutters.

The Peacemaker Chief grabs hold of him by the arm, yanking him away. "Dammit, Niles! Pull yourself together, I've never-"

She looks at the body that Niles was kneeling by. Her face contorts, mouth becomes agape.

"She's..." Niles voice surfaces again, this time looking at her. His greying brown hair is unkempt and covered in grime. There's a large gash going across his face, blood running down, staining his tattered armour. She looks back to a body that could barely be acknowledged as a asura. She lets go of Niles' arm, and watches him return to it—_to her_.

"She's dead," he says automatically, "It's all my fault."

* * *

**11 Years Later**

The armour felt heavy today.

It weighed down on his scarred grey body as he blankly looked at himself in a small, dirty mirror. Everyday, for over forty years, it felt heavier as days drug by. The mixture of galvanic and electroplated armour still shined against Niles' aging body proudly, but only he could see the small cracks and dents slowly suffocating it. It felt like a timer—the thought of it breaking and what would become of him, was a analogy he tried to avoid.

Niles exhaled slowly. He excited out of the small washroom slowly, dragging his feet, not feeling particularly excited for a usual night-time shift. He stared out in the simple decorated living room. Small, but it did have more space than most of his race could afford living in Rata Sum. He continued on, picking up some scattered data crystals, a blanket, papers, and what seemed to be a day old sandwich. With a disinterested expression he threw the sandwich away in the trash, then lazily threw the rest on the floating purple couch that was against the back wall. Checking to see if his sword sheath was properly attached to the clasp on his belt, he then focused on the door with dull, hazy blue eyes.

"Uncle Niles!"

Before he could register the situation, Niles was ambushed with a very fierce embrace. _She_ had just barged through the doorway. The elderly asura grabbed onto the corner of the wall, barely catching himself from saying an curse in front of his young niece, Jaddi.

"Look!" she squeals. She pulls out a piece of parchment, "Look! Another G.T.B. (Genius To Be) Score for my essay on multimagical-mistsymbotic calculations and theories! I was complimented by Professor Gorr himself!"

The veteran Peacemaker just stares at her blankly, trying to piece together the string of words she spit out in what seemed to had been a millisecond. Her expression is priceless; long brown hair sweeps down around her dark brown skin with pale speckles around her eyes. He's thankful she did not get any of his looks. She has a toothy grin, acting as if she defeated the dragons themselves. Niles ponders for a moment, noting how much she looks like her father—his brother—at that instant.

"Let me see that paper of yours," he takes it, snapping away from the past and habitually paces around the small foyer. His sharp ears listen to the padding of Jaddi's small feet following him like a eager baby doylak.

Now, compared to other species, Niles is exceptionally smart. It takes a lot of work to be accepted as a Peacemaker, even harder to keep a track record such as his. But apparently still not smart enough to keep up with Jaddi's growing genius. He squints at the paper, trying to piece the complicated theories and algorithms together.

"Do you need your glasses?"

He looks over the paper toward her eager smile, and he shakes his head. "No, I'll have to read it later, but very impressive thus far, you have your parents genius."

She grins madly. "What do you expect, uncle? They were the finest in all of Rata Sum." she pauses, glaring at him, "...you forgot, didn't you?"

"Forgot what?"

"You told me next time I earn a G.T.B. you'd take me out on a dinner date."

"Jaddi...I, uh, forgot." he stumbles through his words, "I have to leave for work soon, it's an all night shift again."

Jaddi is notorious for being always happy, lively, and loud. At the age of sixteen, she was in her prime of never-ending enthusiasm. For an asura, she's exceptionally sweet and has little of a condescending attitude—yet, anyway. However, her demeanor changes gears for a moment, the disappointment blares like a screaming bookah.

He mentally slaps himself. He risks a glance at her, and sighs. Of all the weaknesses he possesses, Jaddi is his greatest. Nothing hurts more than seeing her doleful. She looks back at him with the blue coloured eyes they share, her lips quiver for a brief moment.

"Oh. It's okay." she finally manages to speak, forcing a smile. "Do you want me to cook something real quick?"

"No, I need to leave now..." he pauses before he turns the knob of their home's exit and digs into a small satchel on his belt. He hands back the paper, and a few silver. "Go treat yourself, we'll do the dinner later. I..."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, Jaddi. I'll find the time soon for you, I promise."

She huffs, shaking her head and hands move to her hips. "Don't worry about it, uncle! Just now you owe me -two- dinner outs."

He knows she's just saying that to make him feel better. The fact that she hides the hurt bites even more.

"That's what I thought—" he sighed, and now puts himself under the door frame, half-way out. "Don't go to _that_ bar, and remember, no one-"

"No one is supposed to come over when you're gone, no more than one slice of cake, no all-nighters, and don't talk to strange looking humans. I know!"

Niles nods, smiling. He walks out, facing a small hallway with intricately carved geometric shapes on the walls. He glances back to his niece, who smiles and waves. He nods his head in acknowledgment, then turns to walks off. Another day of Peacemaker duties.

The armour felt heavy today.


End file.
